Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case ANNOTATION
Presents a true account of the murder of fourteen-year-old, Emmett Till, in Mississippi, in 1955.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Presents a true account of the murder of fourteen-year-old, Emmett Till, in Mississippi, in 1955.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Crowe (Mississippi Trial, 1955) revisits the subject of his debut novel, this time as nonfiction, with an even more searing impact. He builds a strong argument that "the outrage that followed [Emmett's] death and the acquittal of his murderers finally launched the movement to combat racism in the United States." The opening scene, reconstructed from court statements and documents, tells how 14-year-old Emmett Till was taken from his great-uncle's Mississippi home, where the boy was visiting from Chicago, to be killed by two white men. Emmett's crime: he had allegedly whistled at and made `ugly remarks' to a white woman" in a 1955 segregated South where whites were still bristling from the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. The narrative then slows a bit to paint the historical scene, but quickly gains momentum again as Crowe compellingly describes Emmett's perspective, coming from an experience of comparative freedom in the north, as he entered the world of his southern relatives, thus setting a backdrop for tensions to unfold. Striking photographs illustrate an era of contradictions, such as an all-American boy brandishing a sign bearing a racist slogan. The acts of bravery may impress readers most, especially the decision by Maud Till Bailey, Emmett's mother, to open his casket and "Let the people see what they did to my boy," and his Uncle Mose Wright taking the stand to identify the white defendants (immediately thereafter, he had to flee Mississippi or risk being murdered himself). Crowe pays powerful tribute to a boy whose untimely death spurred a national chain of events. Ages 12-up. (May) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Children's Literature - Edie Ching
This book may have already come to your attention because of the starred review in School Library Journal and the review in the Washington Post. It begins with the author pointing out that the story of this case was never taught when he was in school and yet most African Americans knew the details. He relates the case to the Civil Rights Movement and while at times he may seem "gentle" about Southern racists trying to "preserve" their culture, it is that balance in covering what was an incredible act of violence in which the murderers "got off" that adds to the book's strength. It is up to the reader to really absorb the horror of it all. Period photographs add to the immediacy of the text. Emmett Till's story figures in To Kill a Mockingbird. For years our teachers struggled to find more background about the case, now they have the book that does it. This is a harder read than Ruby Bridges' story but it is just as important a book. 2003, Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers Books,
VOYA - Kristen Moreland, Teen Reviewer
Crowe's new book tells you all the same basic facts of Emmett Till's murder, but it also focuses on why it happened and what was done because of the crime. It dabbles in the minds of the murderers, Emmett's mother, and citizens of Mississippi. The author keeps stressing that the murder of Emmett Till was the breaking point that started the Civil Rights movement. Although not as gripping as Crowe's novel, this book is a necessity for anyone doing a report on the subject. Photos. Maps. Biblio. Further Reading. Chronology. VOYA Codes: 3Q 3P M J (Readable without serious defects; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2003, Phyllis Fogelman Books/Penguin, 128p,
Alan Review - Christie Van Sande
This book is a nonfiction companion to Chris Crowe's Mississippi Trial: 1955, the story of the murder of Emmett Till, the trial that followed, and surrounding events. Emmett was a 14-year-old African-American youngster visiting relatives in Mississippi in 1955, who was kidnapped and murdered after alleged remarks made to a white woman. Although two white men, who later admitted to the murder in a magazine interview, were put on trial for murder, they were quickly acquitted by an all-white jury. This was a landmark event that helped to jumpstart the Civil Rights movement. Due to the graphic nature of this story (including one photo which appeared in a Chicago newspaper), it might be disturbing to younger readers. Nonetheless, it would be a good source to use when talking about the Civil Rights movement, and a good paired read with Crowe's aforementioned fictionalized account. 2003, Phyllis Fogelman Books, 128 pp., Ages young adult.
School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-A wrenching account of the brutal killing of a 14-year-old black Chicagoan in Mississippi in 1955, his murderers' acquittal, and their subsequent confession. The writing brings the tenor of the times and the importance of this case into sharp focus. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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